The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Phlox plant originated from the crossing of a Phlox variety called ‘9Ph-17’ (♀) with a commercial cultivar ‘Palona Rose with eye’ (unpatented) (♂).
Phlox are mainly late spring or summer flowering annuals or perennial, grown for terminal panicles or for a profusion of brightly colored flowers. However, there are only a few Phlox which can survive a hot and humid summer and can bloom continuously until autumn. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having vivid reddish purple colored petals, together with good heat tolerance and longer a flowering period.
The female parent ‘9Ph-17’ (unpatented) is a variety having a vigorous growth habit, abundant branching and good heat tolerance.
The male parent ‘Palona Rose with eye’ (PVP No.8900050 in United States) is a commercial cultivar.
In May 1999, crossing of a breeding line called ‘9Ph-17’ as female parent with a cultivar ‘Palona Rose with eye’ as pollen parent was conducted at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. In January 2000, 50 seedlings were obtained from the crossing. The seedlings were grown in pots and tested, and then a single seedling was selected in view of the flower color, the good heat tolerance and a longer flowering period. The seedling was propagated by cutting and tested by flower potting and bedding from April 2001, at Yokaichi-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. The botanical characteristics of the plant were then examined using a similar variety, ‘Dolly Rose’, for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that the Phlox plant is distinguishable from any other variety whose existence is known to us and is uniform and stable in its characteristics. The new variety of Phlox plant was named ‘Sunphlo R&W’.
In the following description, the color information is in accordance with The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.